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| Michael Varble(Photo: Courtesy photo/State police) |
Michael R. Varble, a Poughkeepsie attorney who was recently disbarred,
faces seven felony charges in relation to “stealing unearned retainer
fees from clients,” according to Dutchess County District Attorney
William V. Grady.
Varble was charged
on Wednesday morning with four charges of third-degree grand larceny and
three charges for fourth-degree grand larceny, Grady said in a
statement.
Varble was arraigned on Wednesday. Bail
was set at $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond, which Varble posted, Grady said.
Varble is scheduled to return to court March 20.
Varble was suspended
as an attorney on July 9 amid accusations he failed to refund fees of
clients who ceased their cases with his firm, totaling more than $32,000
according to court documents. He was disbarred in February after his resignation was granted by the state supreme court.
State
police said an investigation began following a May 2017 complaint
claiming Varble had accepted retainer fees and payments for legal
services that had not been provided. The investigation revealed the
lawyer, who lives in Kingston, had accepted payment "in excess of
$28,000 from multiple victims" for services that were not provided,
state police said.
Varble, who Grady said represented himself in court Wednesday, told the Journal "I have no comment" on the charges.
He was checked into Dutchess County Jail at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the jail, and released by around noon.
“Mr.
Varble is charged in all of the felony complaints with stealing
unearned retainer fees from clients,” Grady said. “A Dutchess County
Grand Jury will ultimately determine what charges or additional charges
should be preferred.”
Varble was suspended in July
2018 because he was found guilty of "professional misconduct immediately
threatening the public interest" for failing to comply with demands
from the Grievance Committee for the state's 9th Judicial District,
according to court documents.
Varble
submitted an application to resign as an attorney and counselor-at-law
on Aug. 13 from the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, Second
Judicial Department. As part of Varble’s resignation application, he
stated that he could not defend himself against the allegations, and
admitted to failing to return fees to clients.
The
Grievance Committee for the state's 9th Judicial District had received
at least 18 complaints from former clients of Varble's law firm who
claimed that neither he nor his associates responded to them. There were
at least 11 of the cases in which Varble did not refund clients their
retainer fees, even if the fee wasn't earned through representation.
The Grievance Committee recommended the approval of the resignation.
Per
his resignation, Varble was ordered to no longer practice law, or give
an opinion as to the law or its application. He was also ordered to
provide proof of payment of these fees, should he decide to file any
future reinstatement applications, according to court documents.
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1 comment:
I wish they would disbar Attorney Edward Culbertson and his two daughters Attorney Kelly Culbertson and Attorney Catherine Ingrande for taking advantage of a sick and drunk Judge Friend the late Patrick Caddell. They used him to take advantage of his office and his docket to better themselves. They are corrupt! need to go In Pinellas county Florida!
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